Give the Inexperienced Ones a Chance

10 Jan Give the Inexperienced Ones a Chance

I’m no Alabama fan, but what Nick Saban did in the National Championship was gutsy—and right. His starting quarterback, Jalen Hurts, who has won all but two of his games in two years, was not having a good day. Frankly, he looked ready to lose his third game. So, at halftime, Saban benched his star and sent freshman Tua Tagovailoa into the game.

And won.

Now, Tagovailoa isn’t just any freshman; he was one of the top recruits in the country. The kid can obviously play. He has potential. But he hasn’t had time to develop his talent and—until recently—hadn’t had an opportunity to prove himself, either. Saban took a real risk. If he’d chosen not to take that risk in a championship game, everyone would have understood.

And Alabama may have lost.

In business, too, it’s often the experienced person who gets the opportunity. Sure, new hires can’t learn if they never get to practice, but who wants to use their own company as somebody else’s school room? It’s not an attractive risk—unless you remember Nick Saban.

Take a good look at the inexperienced people on your team. Consider them as individuals. Look at each person’s abilities. Some of them might be more ready than you think they are.

Take a calculated, educated risk on unproven talent, and you just might win the game. Like Alabama did.